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AZHPCA's January 2024 Newsletter

Brian Drummond

Jan 25, 2024

Happy New Year AZHPCA team,

Another year to continue to make a difference in our state and here are some updates:

We welcome Margaret, Jane, and June, thanks for joining our group!

Updates:

-AZHPCA Sustainability Group 2024 Planning:

1. Waste reduction/cost savings - I think recycling and MRSA+ policy are completely winnable goals. We can work on these for our healthcare sustainability workgroup. 

2. Involvement/participation from other like minded Health Care Professionals

3. Providing subject matter expertise/speaking opportunities/advocacy 

-AZHPCA Research Group:

  1. Have 2 Research Assistant Program Students able to help with studies and 2 interested residents in study execution.

  2. Partnering with the College of Public Health at University of Arizona to do studies on Particulate Matter

  3. Considering some research surveys to evaluate different climate health topics and identify areas to focus on.

-AZHPCA Website design help

Still looking at March and working with an undergrad in media to help with design and creation

-We are sponsoring 3 medical students to attend the MSCCH Annual Meeting Feb 12-14!!!  We look forward to sharing their experiences.


Education information/News:

-Ground broken on new Battery storage facility in Phoenix, $500 million and 1,020 megawatt hours of storage

-Shade trees to help urban heat islands are available in Phoenix with possibly 2 free and Tucson through TEP for pick up or Tucson Clean and Beautiful for delivery

-121 Electric School Buses coming to Arizona and 11 in Tucson, with total of 40 million coming from Biden/Harris Administration and EPA

-Nation's first fully electric fire truck put into service in Mesa, AZ

Upcoming:

Jan 30 1200 Steering Committee Meeting- Great way to learn about what we do and get involved, all are welcome.

Sustainability Committee Meetings:

March 13, 2024
June 12, 2024
Sept 11, 2024
Dec 11, 2024

Action Items:

 1.  We have started a research section of AZHPCA led by Noah Tolby and will be partnering with the College of Public Health on some air quality studies.  If you are interested in this topic or residents wanting some help with a Scholar quest project, please reach out to Noah and myself. 

2.  We are doing our first Climate Change, Environment and Health Medical Student Elective from March 11-22.  We are having multiple guest lecturers and If you are interested in giving a lecture on a Review of Climate Change Science, Severe Weather or Climate Change and Plant Based Allergens between 3/11-3/13 please let me know. These will be remote teaching to accommodate the 3rd and 4th year students on other rotations. 

3.  There is a Southern Arizona Heat Planning Summit on Feb 3 from 8-1600 at ENR2 UArizona 1064 E. Lowell St. I will be attending and you can register at this link

4.  Climate Action Campaign and the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health is inviting health professionals to fly into Washington DC from Feb 12-14th to educate Arizona and other representatives of climate and health issues.  If you are interested, please fill out this form. They state there may be some travel reimbursement resources available.

Climate and Health Lobby Week RSVP

Please fill out this Google form to RSVP for our Climate and Health Lobby Week on February 12th-14th, 2024! Completion of this form will be your RSVP. Please see our Lobby Visit Tracker for the full list of members of Congress and Administration officials. Travel costs: Some resources are available to reimburse people for travel and lodging costs. COVID: All are required to be vaccinated to attend in-person and to follow CDC guidelines if you test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19.

docs.google.com

5.  Jan 29th 18-1900 Free Seminar put on by UT Health Houston on Adding Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change to Your Medical Practice.    https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0037-0020-b3cc29ade3ad4199a4b7ac6fdbc7d286

Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility: Adding Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change to Your Medical Practice - January 29, 2024

Physicians, nurses, and concerned citizens committed to a safe environment and healthier Texas. Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility is the Texas chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). Guided by medical and public health expertise, Texas PSR works in partnership with national PSR and other PSR chapters to protect human life from the gravest threats to health and survival through outreach, education, and advocacy.

reg.learningstream.com

6.  Sustainable mobility Feb 1 11-1200.  I know a lot of you bike and walk to work which is awesome for the planet and your health. If this interests you or want to learn more about it in Tucson check out this virtual presentation.  Andrew Belus went to it in person a week ago and really enjoyed it.  https://watershedmg.org/event/cool-tucson-5-degrees-what-role-sustainable-mobility

Cool Tucson 5 Degrees: What is the Role of Sustainable Mobility?

Tucson is 11 degrees warmer on average than it was 100 years ago. Half of that warming is due to our built environment, creating an urban heat island, and roads and parking lots are one of the biggest contributors to warming urban areas. How can we reverse this trend?Learn more and get inspired to help shift Tucson to a sustainable mobility framework, where the health of the community and the environment are centered in transportation and land-uses practices. Catlow Shipek, Sr.

watershedmg.org


Will chat soon and share the invite to join AZPHCA with anyone who is interested.


Thanks so much for your interest and passion.

Brian

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